


Put a ring on it

by Nightrayspath



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dumb Damen, Getting Together, M/M, Miscommunication, Misunderstanding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:00:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24203266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightrayspath/pseuds/Nightrayspath
Summary: The jingle above the door rang and Damen looked up from where he was polishing an antique gold ring. The shop had only opened half an hour ago, it was unusual to already have a customer step foot in his small jewelry store this early in the morning. When he caught sight of the customer that stepped through, Damen could not help the sigh that escaped him. It was his most favourite and his most hated customer.Laurent de Vere was as beautiful as he was demanding.
Relationships: Damen/Laurent (Captive Prince)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 235





	Put a ring on it

**Author's Note:**

> The Goldsmith AU as I called it during the writing process.  
> This fic had originally also been written for the captive prince fashion zine but since I could "only" submit three fics this one didn't make the cut.  
> I hope you enjoy it ~

The jingle above the door rang and Damen looked up from where he was polishing an antique gold ring. The shop had only opened half an hour ago, it was unusual to already have a customer step foot in his small jewelry store this early in the morning. When he caught sight of the customer that stepped through, Damen could not help the sigh that escaped him. It was his most favourite and his most hated customer.

Laurent de Vere was as beautiful as he was demanding. He had stepped foot inside his store four months ago to commission an engagement ring. The process had been grueling. Laurent nitpicked at the slightest imperfection. Damen had forgotten how many times he had redone the ring. One time the little silver crown that held the sparkling diamond had been the tiniest bit crooked and Laurent’s glare would have nearly skinned him alive. At the same time, Damen loved his company. He was sarcastic and brilliant. Even his haughty sneer looked beautiful on him. He used to watch Damen work and they had snarked back and forth while his big hands had worked on the filigrane ring. Damen would not deny that he admired Laurent. He owned his own publishing house and was all around a stunning man. He did not have a crush on him, though. The commission had been done almost a month ago and Laurent had left the store with a ring box in his pocket. Damen had not been downtrodden and he had not missed him at all, no matter what Nikandros insinuated. 

“I need a pair of wedding rings.” Laurent said without even a greeting. 

“She said yes?” Damen asked and tried to ignore his slowly sinking heart. He did not have a crush on him. 

“Of course she said yes.” Laurent said with a haughty sneer.

“When is the wedding?” Damen asked as he leaned on the counter.  
“March, next year.” Laurent said as he started to pull out a small crumpled paper. He laid it on the counter. He gently pressed the wrinkles out. On it was the rough sketch for a pair of wedding rings. One had a tiny stone in the center. Both had engravings with dates on the inside. 

“That’s quite soon.” It was now December. The world was powdered in white as snow kept on gently falling. Laurent was wrapped tight in a soft white wool coat and his face was buried in a dark blue scarf. 

“It was her decision.” Laurent said with a shrug as he unwound his scarf and took off his coat. He hung them up beside Damen’s own jacket. The sight made something tight squeeze his heart. Damen looked back down towards the sketch laid out on the counter.

“What type of material do you want?” Damen asked. 

“Gold,” Laurent said with a decisive nod as he walked around the counter to take a seat beside Damen. The motion seemed so natural that Damen had to avert his gaze. He did not have a crush on the client commissioning wedding bands from him. He needed to get his head on straight.

“No platinum? Yellow gold or rose gold?” Damen asked as he took the sketch and started to draw a cleaner version of it. 

“No, they want gold. She would like rose gold, but yellow gold is better.” Laurent said as he attentively watched Damen sketch. 

“You have both measurements?” Damen asked as he looked up from his drawing. He came face to face with Laurent. He was so close. Damen could count his long golden lashes. It would be so easy to lean closer and kiss him. Damen quickly averted his gaze.

“They are written on the back of the sketch.” Laurent said softly. 

“Can you tell me the dates on the inside again? They are smudged and unreadable.” Damen asked as he refused to look up from his sketch. Laurent said the dates and Damen added them to his paper.

“Damen.” Laurent said his name in a way he had never heard it before. Damen looked up. Laurent was watching him with a soft expression. He opened his mouth, but whatever else he had wanted to say was interrupted by the bell above the door. Another customer stepped inside. It was an older lady that looked like she needed assistance.

“I will come later this month to look at the progress.” Laurent said as he hastily stood up. He quickly wrapped his scarf around his neck and pulled on his coat. 

“Okay, I will see-” Damen did not finish his sentence as Laurent almost fled from the shop in his haste. His ears were flushed. Damen blinked after him in utter confusion, he had no clue as to what had just happened. Damen shook his head and tried to banish the thoughts that orbited around Laurent. He was only marginally successful. He focused his full attention on the new customer. 

Damen had come to the horrific realization that he did indeed have a crush on Laurent as he was filling the thinner of the two wedding bands. It was the most inappropriate moment and the most inappropriate crush. He should not be crushing on a soon-to-be-married man. He massaged the bridge of his nose, trying to stave off the panic induced headache. As if he had summoned him with his thoughts alone, the doorbell jingled and Laurent stepped through. His long blond hair was dusted with snowflakes and his nose was an adorable red from the cold. 

“Good morning, Laurent.” Damen said as he looked up from his work. 

“Good morning.” Laurent said as he put something down on the counter. It was a paper mug. The smell of steaming hot coffee rose in the air.

“Is that for me?” Damen asked. He reached out and wrapped his hands around the warm beverage. 

“No, it’s for the invisible house elves haunting your store. For whom else could it be?” Laurent asked with a huff as he leaned against the counter.

“Thank you, you’re an angel.” Damen said as he inhaled the comforting aroma.

“Bet you thought I was the devil in the beginning.” Laurent said with a smirk as he tilted his head towards Damen. 

“Nah, just a demon.” Damen said with a grin. He startled when Laurent threw his head back and laughed. Damen stared at him, almost transfixed.

“How far along are you with the rings?” Laurent asked with a smile still playing across his lips. The reminder of the wedding doused Damen in cold water and whatever fantasies had started to sprout were burnt down before they could grow. 

“Pretty far along. Do you want to see?” Damen asked as he took a sip of his coffee. Damen pulled out the unfinished rings. Damen explained all the things that still needed to be done and also explained how to keep the rings looking as pretty as the day they were put on the ring fingers. Laurent was listening attentively even though his gaze more often than not strayed towards Damen’s hands as he gestured. As Damen slowly packed the rings away their conversation slowly dwindled down.

“Are you free tonight?” Laurent blurted out. The question surprised him so much that Damen dropped one of the rings. With a clatter, they rolled on the counter till they came to a stop.

“What?” Damen croaked. He thought he had misheard.

“I asked if you are free tonight.” Laurent asked as he crossed his arms. He looked at Damen with a sharpness he had not seen since the first day Laurent had stepped foot inside his store. 

“Why?” Damen asked with clear confusion. 

“You’re an idiot.” Laurent said with a roll of his eyes. “I am asking you to grab a drink with me tonight.”

Damen’s brain felt like it short circuited. The words did not compute in his brain. Laurent was asking him out. He looked down at the counter and his gaze landed on the wedding band laying innocently there. He had asked as a friend. Damen wanted to go out with him, but at the same time, it would only be needless torture. It was already feeling like someone was repeatedly stabbing his heart when thinking about the fact that Laurent would get married next year. He did not want to know how much his heart would be ripped to shreds should he get to know him more and fall in love with him. He was already on the way there. It would not take much for him to fall in love with Laurent.

“No. I’m sorry, but no.” Damen said as he shook his head. He could not look straight at Laurent.

“Then maybe some other time?” Laurent asked. There was a tentative note of hope in his voice. It crushed Damen’s heart. 

“No, I don’t think it’s a good idea.” Damen said again. He avoided Laurent’s gaze and stared at his countertop. 

“And why is it not a good idea?” Laurent said. There was a sharpness to his words that could potentially flay flesh from bones. 

“Because.”

“Because what?” Laurent asked. Coldness was spreading down Damen’s spine. Laurent was starting to sound mad. 

“Because I would be uncomfortable.” Damen admitted. It was the truth, just not the whole truth. It omitted the most important part. 

“Because I am our client or because you cannot stand my presence?” Laurent asked with a sneer. Damen startled at the words. he looked up and met Laurent’s gaze. Laurent was glaring at him, yet his eyes seemed to almost be misty.

“T-That’s not it!” Damen protested.

“No need to deny it, you’ve made yourself quite clear.” Laurent said as he took a step back.

“You’re wrong, Laurent!” Damen said as he quickly walked around the counter.

“Do not try to spare my feelings.” Laurent said with a huff as he turned around and quickly pulled the door to the shop open.

“Laurent!” Damen exclaimed, but he was too slow. Laurent was already out the door. He tried to run after him but collided with a customer in the door frame. After hasty apologies, there was no sight of Laurent. The snow was gently falling. Christmas Carols were sung somewhere, but there was no sight of Laurent. It felt like he had swallowed lead. With his head hung low he slowly walked back inside the store. A week later and there was still no sign of Laurent. Damen was becoming more and more depressed. People were cheerfully anticipating Christmas and Damen wanted nothing more than to stay in bed all day and wallow. 

The jingle of the doorbell made him look up from his rough doodling that looked more and more like Laurent’s eyes. A man stood in the doorway. He bore a striking resemblance to Laurent. The same blue eyes and the same blond hair, only his was shorter. He smiled at Damen with a gentle expression so unlike Laurent.

“Hello, my name is Auguste de Vere.” He said as he held his hand out in an amicable smile. He had the same last name as Laurent. Damen felt another wave of sorrow at the thought that Laurent didn't even want to step foot in his store anymore and sent his relative instead.

“Damianos of Akielos, how may I help you?” Damen asked as he put his best customer service smile on his lips even though he felt like dying on the inside. 

“My little brother Laurent commissioned our wedding rings at your store?” Auguste asked as he tilted his head. He reminded Damen of a golden retriever puppy. 

Wait a second. What had he just said?

“Our?” Damen asked with a strangled voice at the end.

“Yeah, my fiancée’s and mine. He also choose our engagement ring.” Auguste said with a brilliant smile.

“He caught a cold and has spent the last few days in bed in a terrible mood.” Auguste added, but Damen was hardly hearing him. Laurent was not engaged. Laurent was not getting married in March. His older brother was marrying his fiancée in March. Laurent was not marrying anybody. And he had turned him down. Damen wanted to bash his own head into the nearest wall.

“Excuse me, where does Laurent live?” Damen blurted out. Auguste would not hand over the address until Damen explained the situation in painful detail. 

“Hurt him and no one will find your body,” were the last words Auguste uttered to him as Damen rushed out of the store. He had grabbed the small box he had hidden away in a drawer in the back. Auguste had been so kind and promised to watch the store for him. Damen made a quick stop at a florist before reaching Laurent’s apartment. He bought the biggest bouquet of roses the florist had. They were a gorgeous red. 

He was out of breath as he stood in front of Laurent’s door. He took a deep breath trying to calm his racing heart. He rang the doorbell. With a click, the door opened and Damen held out the roses.

“I’m sorry.” Damen blurted out before Laurent could get in a word edgewise.

“I’m sorry. I like you. I thought you would get married in March.” Damen confessed. 

“Wait, what?” Laurent asked in befuddlement.

“I thought the wedding rings were for you. Going out to eat with you would have broken my heart.” Damen said earnestly.

“Get in here. The neighbours are gawking.” Laurent said as he pulled Damen into his apartment. It was at that moment that Damen realized that Laurent was only wearing his pajamas. His toes were bare. 

“Here, this is for you.” Damen said as he thrust the box towards Laurent together with the roses. Laurent placed the roses on the small entrance table. He opened the box inside laid a pair of gold bracelets that shone underneath the light.

“I made them when I could not get you out of my head.” Damen admitted as he fidgeted. 

“Put them on me.” Laurent said as he held out his slender wrist. Damen felt like they were making a promise to each other as he gently clasped the bracelet around Laurent’s wrist. 

“I like you, too. You gigantic idiot.” Laurent said with a huff as he marveled at the bracelets. 

“I know.” Damen admitted with a wince.

“I will hold this over your head for eternity.” Laurent warned.

“I know.” Damen said as he smiled and leaned forward. He kissed Laurent. It was like a dream come true. And Laurent did remind him of it continuously. It was the most favourite story that went around at every family dinner. Auguste found great amusement in the whole mess as he told everyone that attended his wedding during his groom's speech. Damen was mortified. Two years later Laurent did commission a pair of wedding rings of his own. One was worn by him the other was wrapped around Damen’s ring finger.


End file.
